Shell for explosive projectiles.



I. B. MUBFAY & T. E. MURRAY. JR.

SHELL FOR EXPLOSIVE PROJECTILES.

APPLiCATlON FILED MN. 21.1918.

Patented Feb. 11, 1919.

( 6i, l ATTORNEY Enron;

JOSEPH B. MURRAY AND THOMAS E. MURRAY, JR, 0F BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

SHELL FOR EXPLOSIVE PROJECTILES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Faun, 1919.

Application filed January 21, 1918. Serial No. 212,895.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOSEPH B. Moran: and THOMAS E. MURRAY, J r., citizens of the United States, residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful lmprovement in Shells for Explosive Pro ectiles, of which the following is a specification.

The invention is a shell for an explosive projectile for trench use. Such projectiles are usually thrown by small powder charges over short distances, and without any special accuracy so long as they reach the enemys trench, or an area within the enemys lines, where their explosion will prove effective. As ordinarily made, they include a tube with heads on its ends formed of shouldered and threaded metal plugs which enter and engage the internally threaded tube. The blowing charge and a quantity of metal fragments fill the tube. When explosion occurs, the shell is shat-. tel-ed and the pieces of it with the metal fragments inclosed are distributed over a considerable area.

The problem here is first to lighten the shell so that it can be easily transported and even thrown by hand, if desired, to chea en its construction, and especially to make t rat construction everywhere sufliciently strong to prevent breakage at any particular point or points due to the shock of impact of the projectile, with consequent release of the contents before explosion. In other words, in order to get the maximum destructive effect, the blowing charge must be confined so that it will act with its full energy upon the metal of the shell and the contained small bodies of metal or fragments. Where the heads are threaded plugs, it is necessary,

as stated, correspondingly to thread the tube which thins and so weakens the wall, so that rupture commonly occurs at the jointsbe tween plugs and tubes. thread the tubes and to make the threaded plugs adds materially to the cost of manu facture.

All these difliculties are removed by the construction hereinafter set forth. Instead of using threaded plugs, the heads are stamped from metal blanks, at the same time raising on them'integral ribs of the same thickness as and registering with the ends of the tube. These ribs concentrate the welding current which forms the joints be- Furthermore, to

tween them and the tube ends, which joints are even stronger than the solid metal of the tube body. Actual experiment shows that these joints will not break even under mechanical shocks much greater than a trench shell is subjectedto in use. As the welding is practically instantaneous, these shells can be produced with much greater rapidity than has heretofore been found possible and at a largely decreased cost.

In the accompanying drawings- Figure l is a longitudinal section of our projectile with the heads and body portionin contact and before welding; Fig. 2 is an enlarged similar section of an end of the tubular body portion and of the head B after welding, showing the extruded metal at the joint.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts.

A is the tubular body portion, preferably formed by striking up two longitudinal half sections of sheet metal and electrically welding the same together at their abutting edges. B and C are the heads, on each of which is a rib D of the same thickness as the metal of the tubular portion A. The ends of said tubular portion are electrically butt welded to the ribs D, with which said ends register, and a ainst which said ends are pressed while t 1e metal at the joints is rendered plastic. In the head .C- is an opening E for the reception of the usual exploding fuse. The joints between the heads and the tubular body become strengthened by the metal extruded during the welding operation and filling the angles between the heads and the body portion, as shown at F, Fig. 2, so that in fact the strength of the structure at said joints is greater than that of the metal of the body of the tube.

\Ve claim:

1. A trench bomb, comprising a tubular body portion of sheet metal, and disk-shaped heads of metal thicker than the metal of said body portion electrically welded to the ends of said body portion.

2. A trench bomb, comprising a tubular body portion formed of two longitudinal sections in registering contact and electrically welded at their edges, and disk-shaped heads of metal thicker than the metal of said body portion electrically welded to the ends of said body portion.

3. A trench bomb, comprislng a tubular body portion of sheet metahand disk-shaped heads of metal thicker than the metal of said body portion, each of said heads haying on one face an integral circular rib, the said ribs registerlng with and being electrically 5 butt-welded to the ends of said body portion.

" .4. A trench bomb, as in claim 1, the joints;

between the said heads and the said body portion being reinforced by the metal ex- 10 truded during said we'lding and filling the JOSEPHB. MURRAY, THOMAS E. MURRAY, JR.

Witnesses:

GERTRUDE T. PORTER, MAYT. MCGARRY. 

